The influences of changes in the conditions of heat treatment and cold working on the low temperature mechanical properties were studied on solution-annealed, sensitized and hydrogenated austenitic stainless steels of seven types. Principal results obtained are as follows.
(1) Austenitic stainless steels that are sensitized at 1073 K (800°C) invariably exhibit the low temperature hydrogen embrittlement when tested at 77 K (−196°C).
(2) Those stainless steels, sensitized at 1073 K (800°C) for 86.4 ks (24 h) then hydrogenated, exhibit increasing resistivity to the low-temperature hydrogen embrittlement in the sequence of 304–316–321–310=347–304L=316L, when tested at 77 K (−196°C).
(3) The range of sesitization treatment in which type 304 steel exhibits strong hydrogen embrittlement when subsequently tested at cryogenic temperatures is 923 K (650°C) to 1223 K (950°C), particularly from 1073 K (800°C) to 1173 K (900°C).
(4) Cold working tends to enhance the low-temperature hydrogen embrittlement.
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